New York artist Sarah Sze created An Equal and Opposite Reaction, suspended in the grand lobby of McCaw Hall, home to Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Each section of the suspended sculpture is constructed of hollow aluminum bars, filled with highly articulated fabricated parts and found objects, such as pushpins, rulers, zip ties, ladders, extension cords, industrial clamps, faux flowers, and tape measures. The vortex structure of the work sweeps the viewer's gaze up into the space above.

The artwork was built by Seattle Opera Scenic Studios. Seattle Opera has one of the most innovative scene shops in the country, and Sze realized the importance of having her sculpture in the hands of a team with technological expertise and artistic acumen.

The artist writes, "As an entrance piece to the opera and ballet, the piece is built as a welcoming monument filled with the fantasy, imagination, and excitement of attending a performance. It is also a piece that is meant to be revisited and rediscovered over time, whether it be upon entering the performance in the early evening light and seeing it anew upon leaving the performance in the late evening light, or seeing it over the course of several visits to the stage over the years."